Press Release - August 1, 2003

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO) announced today (August 1) that the territory-wide Hong Kong Smart ID card replacement exercise will commence in Hong Kong on Monday, August 18, 2003. Holders of valid Hong Kong ID card will be arranged to have their existing ID cards replaced according to their years of birth.

The arrangement for the first cycle of the Smart ID card replacement exercise is shown at the end of this press release.

Announcing this, the Director of the HKETO, Mrs. Rosanna Ure, said: �If existing Hong Kong identity card holders are not in Hong Kong when it is their turn to apply for a new card, they should apply for it within 30 days after their return to Hong Kong.

�Therefore, there is no need to rush back to Hong Kong solely for the purpose of replacing their identity card.�

Hong Kong ID card holders who are residing in Canada are reminded that in addition to their existing ID cards, they should bring along supporting proofs showing their period of absence from Hong Kong when they apply for the new ID card.

�The launch of the new ID card is an initiative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government aimed to move Hong Kong to the forefront of the hi-tech world,� Mrs. Ure said.

The new ID card takes the form of a smart card of the size of a standard credit card. Apart from its sophisticated features, each smart ID card is embedded with a chip that supports the storage and processing of data.

She said: �The new multi-application ID card can be applied for various usage for immigration and non-immigration applications. With basic personal data and templates of two thumbprints stored in the chip, cardholders will be able to use their smart ID card for immigration clearance through self-service control points by the end of 2004. If the cardholders are not permanent residents of Hong Kong, their conditions or restrictions pertaining to their stay may also be stored on the chip.�

As for non-immigration usage, Mrs. Ure added, the smart ID Card can be used as e-Cert to perform electronic transactions, library card and driving license-related functions (to take effect from 2006). The inclusion of non-immigration applications is optional. Cardholders have a free choice to decide whether to include such applications in their smart ID card.

All existing Hong Kong ID card holders are invited to attend one of the Smart ID Card Centres, in accordance with their year of birth, to have their ID cards replaced within specified periods. It is estimated that the ID card replacement exercise will last for four years until 2007.

In order to shorten the waiting time, Hong Kong ID card holders, who are residing in Canada, are encouraged to make use of the appointment booking service via the website www.esd.gov.hk and telephone hotline at (852)1838 333. An appointment can be made 14 days in advance of the commencement date of the phase.

For addresses of the nine Smart ID card centers in Hong Kong and other details of the Smart ID Card Replacement exercise, please visit www.hketo.ca or
http://www.smartid.gov.hk/en/index.html


For more information, please contact: John Tam, Chief Information Officer of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office at: (416) 924-5544 or email: [email protected] or Elison Chu, Senior Information Officer, [email protected]